You cannot possibly get every role you audition for, so don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself. … Your job is to go in, time and time again, and produce a consistent body of quality acting. Never mind about getting the part; focus on the quality of your auditions.
– from The Actor’s Life: a survival guide by Jenna Fischer
I really like this book by Jenna Fischer. In it, Jenna shares her personal journey of a starry-eyed Midwestern girl to a star in the hit TV series The Office and beyond. But this really isn’t a biography. It’s notes from a mentor, chock-full of advice and lessons hard-learned. She writes about the importance of becoming a “joiner,” the audition hustle, and booking her breakout role. There’s a great section about headshots, (complete with pictures!) that show her own evolution of discovering her brand. She writes about finding representation, being professional on set, and empowering us to expect to be treated professionally. She also gets into the challenges of rejection, self-doubt, not getting the part, and getting-then-losing the part. She writes as a big sister–wise, generous, and has your back.
Over to you: What are you reading?
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